Christ’s Radical Kingdom of Peace!

Key Preaching Verses

Matthew 3.1-2, 11: “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near... ‘I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Focus Questions

What changes do you intend to implement into your spiritual life this Advent to prepare and get ready for the coming of the Lord?

Or are you tempted to let Advent drift past without doing any work on your relationship with Jesus Christ?

Is your faith in Jesus Christ important to you?

If the answer is no then I remind you that in the Christian life you are either growing spiritually or dying! There is absolutely no standing still!

If the answer is yes then here are some advent suggestions for you to reflect on:

Investigate your daily prayer life to make sure it hasn’t become tried and stale. You may want to implement something new!

If your daily prayer life lacks discipline and doesn’t really exist this Advent is a great time to start. If you need help to get started I would be delighted to make time for you.

The same is true of your daily Bible reading.

If you are not getting anything out of the Faith Community worship services then it is time to take some personal responsibility and to grow up spiritually. Do you pray and prepare yourself to meet Jesus every Sunday?

How might we journey through Advent as pilgrims who seek God’s will for their lives , as disciples who practice the ways of God’s peace and apostles who share God’s peace with all whom they meet?

How’s Christ’s peace radically different from Worldly peace?

Take Home Challenge

I am convinced that many people wouldn’t recognise the Kingdom of God, even if they fell over it. So here are some signs of God’s Kingdom of Peace in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Jews, Romans and Greeks all saw the Cross as ultimate shame and cruel defeat. But Jesus saw the Cross as a way of expressing unconditional and saving love!

Jesus saw a woman at His feet and heard her accusers declare that she had been caught in an act of adultery and needed to be stoned to death. Jesus saw a person who needed some authentic love and sent her away forgiven!

The Jews saw Zacchaeus as a traitor to his own people and a collector of taxes for the Romans. Jesus went and had dinner with him, in an act of reconciliation!

Jesus’ radical new Kingdom of Peace exists wherever God’s will is done! This Kingdom exists when people follow the example of Christ and pour out their lives in love for others without calculating the personal cost.